U.S. Forest Service · Tahoe National Forest · California

Cottage Creek Campground

Cottage Creek is a new campground with all new amendities. It has double and triple sites. It has a beautiful view of the Bullards Bar Reservior.

More like this: reservable in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Arial ViewCottage Creek CampgroundCottage CreekBullards Bar
Photos courtesy of TNF · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups9
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

9 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFires
1DPull-through99PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
2TBack-in50PavedPartialNo / –18 / 6Yes
3DBack-in50PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
4DPull-through67PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
5DBack-in50PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
6DBack-in50PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
7DBack-in50PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes
8TBack-in60PavedPartialNo / –18 / 6Yes
9DBack-in60PavedPartialNo / –12 / 4Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 10:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Public access for boating and recreation is limited to 2 developed and 1 undeveloped boat launches: the Cottage Creek Boat Launch ramp at Emerald Cove Marina, the Dark Day Boat Launch ramp, and the undeveloped site at the end of Moran Road. The area includes 6 campgrounds, 2 picnic areas, 2 boat launch ramps, 1 marina, 1 overlook, 1 day use area and several developed hiking trails.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cottage Creek Campground40°50°60°70°80°January: 7.71 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.18 inches of precipitationMarch: 7.82 inches of precipitationApril: 3.22 inches of precipitationMay: 2.38 inches of precipitationJune: 0.73 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.01 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.11 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.38 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.65 inches of precipitationNovember: 5.28 inches of precipitationDecember: 8.86 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.4°F averageFebruary: 47.0°F averageMarch: 50.7°F averageApril: 54.3°F averageMay: 61.3°F averageJune: 68.9°F averageJuly: 75.4°F averageAugust: 74.5°F averageSeptember: 70.2°F averageOctober: 61.3°F averageNovember: 50.9°F averageDecember: 44.8°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Dobbins 1 S, 4 miles from the campground at 1,640 feet, station USC00042456 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 46 inches a year.

Getting there

From Nevada City, travel north on Higway 49 from approximately 20 miles to Maryville Road, turn left onto Maryville Road and travel west approximatley 6 miles. You will cross over the dam and take a right at the Cottage Creek/Emerald Cove Marina parking area. Drive through the main parking lot and stay to the left and the stop sign.

Coordinates39.3978° N, 121.1483° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

No Show Policy A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). No-show customers are only recorded at staffed facilities. At most remote facilities, all customers are noted as automatically checked-in on the date of arrival. It is recommended that staffed facilities hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. It is recommended that staffed facilities hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation if the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit some or all of the recreation fees. There is no change fee if the customer changes campsites that are the same price and on the same reservation dates in the same campground. If the campsite the customer is changing to has a price difference, the customer will be responsible for any additional fees or be provided with a refund, based on the price difference.

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceDeMartini RV Sales ↗13.3 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗18.2 mi
Outdoor gearTurner's Outdoorsman ↗31.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

There is a beautiful non- motorized trail system in the area, with 5 different trails to choose from. Bullards Bar Trailhead is 14 miles, 7 Ball Trial is 1 mile, 8 Ball Trail is 3.8 miles, Rebel Ridge Trail is 1.6 miles and Schoolhouse Trail is 0.7 miles. Maps are available at the North Yuba Ranger Station just a couple miles east of the reservoir on Marysville Road.

  • 0.1 mi
    Cottage Creek
    2.7 mi trail
  • 0.9 mi
    Bullards ↗
    14.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Eight Ball
    3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    Schoolhouse
    0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.2 mi
    Seven Ball
    1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.2 mi
    Rebel Ridge
    1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Tahoe National Forest begins about 8.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The sides of the reservoir are generally steep and public access for boating and recreation is limited. The reservoir is surrounded by both conifer and hardwood forests with numerous brush spieces. There is plenty of shade at the campsites

Recreation

Activities include wildlife viewing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, boating, water skiing, and other water sports. Swimming opportunities are limited because of the steep slopes; however boaters will find numerous opportunities for swimming in various locations around the reservoir. The reservoir provides yearlong fishing opportunities for both warm and cold water fish species. Supplies are available at the marina as well as the nearby communities of Camptonville, North San Juan, and Dobbins.

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cottage Creek Campground?

Sites at Cottage Creek Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cottage Creek Campground?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 10:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Cottage Creek Campground have?

9 sites, including 9 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Cottage Creek Campground?

Cottage Creek Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Cottage Creek Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cottage Creek Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Cottage Creek Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Cottage Creek Campground?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Cottage Creek Campground?

Activities include wildlife viewing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, boating, water skiing, and other water sports. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Cottage Creek Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Hornswoggle Group Campground (1.9 mi), Schoolhouse Campground (2 mi), and Garden Point Boat-In Campground (2.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby